Joy and the Striving

 Joy and the striving 

Lord, I aim for joy
I root for its essence,
Its expression,
I fall short;
I fail you.

My words are frail
And besotted with fear
For the good and bad,
And everybody knows
That’s crazy.

But desire is here,
And madness, a touch.
Still, my cup doesn’t just
Runneth over,
It refills itself, again and again.

And yet,
What do you get
From me?
The blues.
I am sorry.

A friend spoke once
Of my forlornly face,
But I want most to shine
For you, to embrace
The joy, and take its place.

Perhaps it is only you
Where I will find it,
And why not in this world,
Darkness notwithstanding,
It is no match for your handiwork.

The arc of oaks bending
Overhead, the soft splash
Of water from the rain,
The sun that will rise,
The morning that will come.

I asked You once
that I might see
And so much of You poured forth,
I had to ask for a reprieve.
Lord, make me fearless.

Give me the strength to
Believe in whatever lies
Beyond this moment
Where I seek you in all things
As naturally as a child.

Forgive my blues,
My ambivalent feet,
The way I often flee when
The heavens open up
And all is radiant, astounding.

I am just another child who has
Seen much, and lay awake nights
Wondering when the other shoe
Is going to drop; I also tend to
Forget that I am human.

Lord, may I always remember that joy
Is not necessarily to be earned;
It is here for the taking,
It is grace in the making,
And it, like you, is all Good.

 

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Finch-JulieJULIE FINCH attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received a B.S. in communications and a minor in English. After many years as an advertising copywriter, Julie now works in staffing, and writes every chance she gets.

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